News

If you wish (to continue) to support archaeological research in Saqqara through the Friends of Saqqara Foundation in 2019, we kindly request you to transfer your 2019 donation into bank account number NL18INGB0009562150 of the Friends of Saqqara Foundation, stating “Donation 2019” and your Friends-number.

Your continued support, financially and otherwise, remains a necessity for achieving the objectives of the Foundation.
We thank you for the trust you have placed in us.

The proposed minimum donations are, as in previous years, as follows:

• standard: € 35.00 (€ 40.00 for members living abroad)*
• student: € 17.50 (€ 22.50 for student members living abroad)*

Of course, higher donations are also welcome!
After receiving your donation, you will be marked as a member for the calendar year 2019, with the associated privileges: no entrance fee for the Saqqara Day in June (held in Leiden), discounts on publications sponsored by Friends of Saqqara and you will receive our exclusive Saqqara Newsletter (printed in English) in the autumn.

*An additional € 5 will be charged for shipping outside the Netherlands)

It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Willem Beex (age 56), the former surveyor of the Leiden Mission at Saqqara, on Saturday 26 January 2019.

Willem Beex
* Eindhoven, 25 July 1962
† Amsterdam, 26 January 2019

Willem studied art history, archaeology and prehistory at Groningen and Amsterdam University and worked on various excavations in the Netherlands and in Italy. He worked with an archaeological service on sites in the north of the Netherlands from 2001-2003 and he was a self-employed archaeological consultant since 2003.

Willem joined the Saqqara expedition from 2000 till 2009 and introduced modern surveying techniques involving computer-aided design. He was responsible for making the plans, sections, and reconstructions of the tombs and structures found during these fruitful years.

Willem will be missed by his mother, family, friends and colleagues.

It is now possible to visit the tombs of Horemheb and Maya anywhere you want!

Use your computer or tablet to wander through the tombs or use a VR headset to experience a virtual visit in 3D!
Zoom in on high resolution photos of the reliefs and navigate your way through the tombs of Horemheb and Maya. You can even visit the beautifully decorated substructure of the tomb of Maya!

• Virtual Tour in Horemheb’s Tomb
• Virtual Tour in Maya’s Tomb

These Virtual Tours have been created by Salma ElDardiry and Karim Mansour of Describing Egypt with the financial support of our Friends.

The 16th Saqqara Newsletter (2018) is printed and sent to all our Friends! Did you donate to the Friends of Saqqara foundation in 2018? Then you will find the Newsletter in your mailbox within a few days.

Are you not a friend yet?! Become a Friend now!

Send an email to friends [at] saqqara.nl with your name + postal address and pay the membership fee (€ 35 / Student € 17,50). For members abroad an additional € 5 will be charged for postage.

Annual Saqqara Pubquiz 2018

Winner of the Dutch “Enige Echte Egypte Pubquiz 2018” is team *Ramses shabti* (Nico Staring, Huw Twinston-Davies, Paul van Pelt, Jurgen van Oostenrijk and Tessa de Roo).

Congratulations!! It was a close call, between the first four teams there is only one point difference each.

Photographs of the evening will be put online tomorrow!